Freeway signs aim to attract distracted drivers' attention

CHP promise: Phone in one hand, ticket in the other

A new slogan on freeway sign boards throughout the Sacramento area is catching the attention of passing motorists.

"PHONE IN ONE HAND, TICKET IN THE OTHER," read the lit-up sign board along Business 80 and Howe Avenue on Tuesday morning.

The slogan is the latest in an ongoing effort by area law enforcement agencies to convince people to stop using hand-held cellphones while driving.

On Monday, Lodi police cited 52 people over an eight-hour period for talking or texting while driving, according to a report in the Lodi News-Sentinel newspaper.

The California Office of Traffic Safety has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the California Highway Patrol, and 37 law enforcement agencies across the Sacramento region for a targeted enforcement campaign lasting through Dec. 9.

“Talking or texting on a cellphone while driving is one of the most dangerous actions you can take on our roadways,” OTS Director Christopher J. Murphy said.

Nationally in 2010, 3,092 people were killed, and an estimated 416,000 others were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver.

A first-time ticket for hand-held talking while driving is a minimum $159.

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